stingray pleco!

This is a discussion on stingray pleco! within the Cyprinids and Atherinids forums, part of the Freshwater and Tropical Fish category; -->
this was sold to me as a stingray pleco. i havent seen these anywhere but this one particular pet shop. i tried looking it ...

this was sold to me as a stingray pleco. i havent seen these anywhere but this one particular pet shop. i tried looking it up online but found next to nothing but even worse, i found controversy. i found a site that denounced them as plecos but rather a type of loach. apparently its an algae eater.. can anyone confirm whether or not it truely is a pleco?

their not plecs! its a loach and should be kept in cooler waters with alot of flow. others names are hill stream loach as said, hong kong plec and butterfly plec. never heard it being called a stingray plec before.

so being that they are a stream fish, would salt not be a good idear? also do they still eat algae? should i feed them anything special? are they rare because i have only seen them at ONE pet shop. ever. also can they be sucessfully kept with tropical fish?

What kind of tank do you have him in (size, pH, temperature)? Be sure to provide plenty of hiding spots and driftwood.

They aren't strictly just algae eaters, but they will in fact eat algae. Give him sinking algae tablets at night. You can also provide fresh veggies, frozen brine shrimp/tubiflex/daphnia. Be sure to vary his diet.

I wouldn't put them in a tropical tank...although they can adapt to slightly warmer temperature, but not higher than 75 degrees. Lower 70s and upper 60s would be ideal. Be sure to have a good amount of water movement and aeration in the tank.

Although 78 degrees may not kill him, he may not be too happy. They also prefer to be in groups of 3 or more, so if you see any more healthy ones at your store, I'd pick a few more up if you can properly house them in a cooler tank.

Is there anything else in the tank other than Tiger barbs? If there isn't, the barbs will be able to adjust slowly to cooler temps in the low-mid 70s. So you may be fine without a heater. But do him a favor and get him some company of his own kind so he feels a little more comfortable.